Manual control device



B. H. HESEMANN MANUAL CONTROL DEVICE Filed oct. 15, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 O o d il n M 52 40 /0 Z Il I Q HIM 65 /5 f sv o 5 I i f 1 58 55 f6 ad f i ifi o 2@ w 2 "IMU f l? 90 /4 /9 ol. 72

0 7.6 75 @l /3 Il '46?? M 55 I J 60 0 j o Z M I: 28 51 @2 /Of' I A Uhr I 5 40 46 45 il.; .I m I ad 0 gmac/wim; 7 9e/ward #Hefe/7mm April 24, 1951 B, H. HEsl-:MANN

MANUAL CONTROL DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed OOL. 15, 1947 gmac/Wto@ 5er/70rd #45e/Www B. H. HESEMANN MANUAL CONTROL DEVICE April 24, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed 0017. 13, 1947 grime/Wto@ 5er/fafa d Hwa/Www Patented Apr. 24, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MANUAL CONTROL DEVICE Bernard H. Hescmann, Orleans, Nebr. Application October 13, 1947, Serial No. '779,533

16 Claims. 1

- The proposed invention relates in general to manual control devices and it deals more particularly with mechanism selectively operable with one hand to produce a plurality of diversied results individually or in any desired com bination.

Apparatus of this character finds utility in commercial and industrial fields wherever there are separate control operations to be performed which could advantageously be coordinated or centralized in a single control instrument. For example, road grading machinery, automotive equipment, drag line apparatus, cranes, hoists, Winches, mixers, pumps, dump trucks, welding positioners and the like, all require an operator to exercise a variety of controls, sometimes in succession and other times together; to do the necessary things for eicient operation frequently requires him to use both hands, shifting them rapidly from one control device to another, and it is not unusual for both hands to be fully occupied at a time when the need for performing some further control operation arises, this being physically impossible in view of the layout of controls.

Even where a diversiiied system of controls would be satisfactory for normal use it often is unsatisfactory for a person who is handicapped by the lack of one hand or who lacks the use of his legs. In such cases the need for a simplied system of control is obvious.

With the above facts in mind it is the general object of the invention to provide a device mechanically linked to a number of control members whereby the members can be operated singly or in any desired sequence or grouping by movements of the device.

Another object is to provide a device capable of being moved in different directions from a normal or neutral position and also capable of being moved in different directions from any offnormal position in order to select and operate different control members.

According to one feature of the invention the direction of movement selects the member or members to be actuated while the distance of movement governs the extent or degree to which the selected members are actuated.

Another feature resides in the fact that there are intersecting paths along each of which my device can be moved without influencing some particular control member while it is adjusting some other member or members, and it is an object of the invention to provide means for automatically indexing the device with respect to these paths in order to facilitate its return to them from off-normal positions as well as to resist accidental deviation of the displacement of the device from any path.

Other objects and features will appear in the conjunction therewith, and in which like refer-.

ence numerals are employed to indicate like parts of the various views,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of my control device, part being broken away for purposes of' illustration,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device, Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the device, Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along the line 4,-4 of Fig. 1 in the direction ofl the arrows,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1 in the direction ol' the arrows,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows, and

Figs. '7 to 10 are diagrammatic views illustrating the various primary movements or controls possible with my device.

Referring more particularly tothe drawings the reference numeral I 0 identifies a control panel having four separate control levers II, I2, I3 and I4 which customarily are operated individually and selectively by hand. The apparatus controlled by these levers forms no part ofthe present invention; however, for purposes of explanation it can be assumed to be a road grading machine having among other things a scraper blade, the left side of which is raisedor left in a horizontal plane, and that lever vIII- raises and-lowers the scarier on the grader.

In controlling machinery of this type compound movements frequently are designed which necessitate the operation of several control levers together or in overlapping periods, and it will be appreciated that the operator must employ both hands with considerable dexterity in order to handle the apparatus with maximum efficiency. For instance, levers II and I3 sometimes -are pushed forward simultaneously in order tov elevate the scraper blade without changing its pitch; similarly, they sometimes are drawn back together to lower the blade as a unit. Again, lever II may be pushed forward while lever-- I3 is drawn back, or vice versa, in order to adjust the pitch oi the blade tothe slopes of the road, Concurrently with these operations it may be necessary to swing the blade by moving handle I2 or change the elevation of the scarier by moving handle I4. 5

Bymeans of my invention the control ofthe lever or column comprising a hollow tube I5k welded at its lower end to an inverted U-shaped rocker I6, the rocker having hollowtrunnions I'I journaled in the supports I8 andlilV as shown,

Y so that the lever is adapted to pivot forward and'A backward in a vertical plane.;

Within the tube I5 is a rotary shaft 20 connected at its lower end by a universall vjoi`nt22' to the stub shaft 24. -The latter is rotatably mounted in an. inclined supporti bearingz and has a pulley 28 xed thereon to rotate withA the shaft. lThestubsliaftlhas aat' surfacee29 against which adetent 30`is urged! by' spring 32, the spring and` detent being suitably retained in a hollow screw-stud 33T and serving to resist accidentalrotation of the shaft awayfrom' the Iposition in which it is shown... AxialA movement of the sila/ft isprevented by screw 3b which extends: into the annular groove 36.

At the uppel.' endT of.' shaft'f there is' a fork 38 stradtlingsleeve' 4'0 andl hingedly supporting same l3'y`fn-ie`ar1`s`A o`f screvrs'. The sleeve in: turn rotatably 4supports anar-111244' having rigid lateral extensions 46 adjacent the sleeve and an upright handle 'f4-8: at its end'. A. shoulder 5u abutting. one endlv cf'thefsleeve andi nuts 52: threaded td the arm so they abut the other end limit the endfwise play of the arm in t'hfefsleeve. It will' be seen that sleeve/4U', rotary shaft 20 and thev pivotal connection therebetween form a universal joint between arm144landtubef F5" permitting the arm to swing in 'any direction relative thev upper' end of the tube.

thel hollow trunnons I'I are: shafts 54 each havinga pair of cranks 56 and 58 pinned thereto. Referring to Fig'. 3 it will be seen that the left-hand crank 5Gv is connected to they lefthand arrnextension 48 by'a tie rodv 60, the con nectibn'. at each'end of' the tie rod being in thel form'- of a ball and-socket joint 62' in order to perlimited universal movement between the connected members'. A similar linkage `joins the and 88 cooperate with at surfaces on shaft 54 and trunnion l1 to resist accidental rotation thereof away from the position in which they are shown. The spring and detent in each case is: suitablyv retained in: a hollow screw stud 90 threaded into the support I8.

,Referring to Figs. 7 to 10 inclusive, the various control movements of my device now will be explained'. 'Figi 7 shows the main column I5 pivoted forward from its normal (i. e., dotted) posi- `tion withA no change in the inclination of arm 44, fand it will befplain-that this turnscrank 'l2 counterclockwise and thus advances lever I4. A rearward movement of the main column obviously will right-*hand arm extension 66 with the right-hand crank 551 The left-hand crank 58 serves to operate con-4 trollever Il while the right-hand crank 58 operates lever I3. The` linkage in Veach Vcase comprises ian L-shaped `ari-n 64 having one end clampedtol thecontrol lever by a bracketV or yoke 6.6;the other'end of the arm is hinged to a push *rod 6`8.wl1icl`rinY turnis'hinged at its lower end tofcrank 5.8'. The upperportion of therpush rod is loosely encircledby a-stationary` guide eye 'I0 carried byan arm extending rearwardly from the under side of the'controlpanel IIJ.v

/A crank ar1n'1'2'isv secured by a screw 'I4 to the hollow trunnion exten-ding. laterally from one end ofrocker I 6 wherebytl'e crank turns with the mainfcolumn I5as it is moved forward and backward.v 'I'llis through the' medium of push rod 'I6 ar'idfarm l8v moves control lever I4 forward and backward, it being understood that arm v1s is clamped to the control lever ,by a yoke 8G and that the push rod is hinged at'itsends tothe arm and crank"respectively.l

`lhever I2 i's-operated by a cable82 which extends Vatrou'ndthe large `pulley'2`8 and ,smallpulley 84 Y withfitsends secured tothe lever. Y

f Asbest-'seen inFig'. 6, spring biased Vdetaillis .88

tilt the lever I4 to the. rear of its upright or neutra-liposition similar fashion. It will' be observed: that the: forward and: backwa'rdmovementv of thefmain; colmnnz brings about a change in the angular relationship between shafts 2liI and 24' at the universal joint 212, thisjoint. being aligned with y by the movement illustrate-d in Fig; 7 because the'v mclinationof rarm 4141is1 not changed; by the same token control levers' I`2` and I4 are nowise affected by the type of movement shown in. Fig, 8, assumingv` that the normal position of column I5 and sliaftlZll` is not disturbed.` y

If desired', at the same time arm 4'4 is moved up or down as indicated inFig. 8 column I5 may berpushed'forward or backward as in Fig. 7, in which case lever I4 will be moved along with levers II and I3. The vdirection in which lever' I4 is moved may be the same as the direction in which levers I I and' I3 are moved or it may be opposite thereto; for example, assuming the mechanism to Vbe positioned as shown by solid lines i-n Fig. 8 (i. e., with control levers II and I3 forward) it will be seen that column I5 may be moved forward or backward `to adjustrlever I4 without in any way disturbing the position of levers I f and I3`. The same would be true if arm 4'4" were in the position indicated by dotted lines in'Fig. 8. l

When it is desired to move control levers II and I3 not in the same direction but in opposite Y directions, this may be accomplished bytwisting handle 48 as shown in Fig. 9, which tilts extensions 46 with Vrespect to the horizontal and thus turns the iightand left-hand cranks 56 in lopposite directions. The left-hand push rod 68 is moved upwardly while the right-hand one is moved downwardly (or vice versa, depending upon the direction vthat handle 48 is twisted) with a resultthat levers II and I3 are moved in opposite directions.

In the event. it is desired to move only one of theY control levers II and I3 the twisting of handle 4B is accompanied by a raising or lowering of .arm 44 whereby one of the tie rods 60 remains stationary while the other moves up or down to perform the desired operation. For example,.referring to Fig 9 it will be apparent that without moving the right-hand tie rod 6! y the leit-hand'tie rodean be raised (and lever is lowered simply by turning handle 48 clockwise and at the same time depressing it.

Twisting of the handle as just described, either with or without a vertical movementl of the handle, can be combined with a forward or backward movement of column I5 in order to bring about a change in the position of control lever I4 as already explained in connection with Figs. 7 and 8.

As can readily be seen from Fig. 10, swinging of the arm 44 in the arc about the main column I5 as a center turns the pulley 28, and through the medium of cable 82 moves control lever l2 backward or forward depending upon the direction of rotation. Universal joint 22 permits this movement even though shafts 2D and 24 are not in alignment, and the control of lever I2 may be combined with any or all of the control movements hereinbefore described.

The restoration of any one of the control levers Il to I4 to its neutral or vertical position after it has been displaced is facilitated by one of the spring biased detents 30, 86 or 88 which serves automatically to index or define the home position of the portion of my mechanism which actuates the control lever in question. As indicated previously, the detents also serve to prevent unintended displacement of various parts of the mechanism from their respective home positions.

It has been suggested that levers I I to I4 may be control levers on road grading machinery but this is not intended to be restrictive, inasmuch as they obviously may be the controls on other types of apparatus. The control exercised by these levers may be accomplished through direct mechanical linkages, through relay systems of the electrical, hydraulic or pneumatic types o1 through any other suitable form of power booster. Since many possible applications and embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the scope thereof it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinbefore set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the apparatus.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. is within the scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In combination with a plurality of devices to be controlled, a pivotal lever, mechanism connecting the lever to one of said devices and actuated by a movement of the lever about its pivot for operating said one device, a second lever pivoted to said rst lever at a point removed from said rst levers pivot, mechanism connecting the second lever to a second one of said devices, said last mechanism actuated by a movement of said second lever about its pivot relative to said rst lever for operating said second device, and yieldable means resisting movement of said second lever away from a predetermined position.

2. In combination with a plurality of devices to be controlled, a pivotal lever, mechanism connecting the lever to one of said devices and actuated by a movement of the lever about its pivot for operating said one device, a second lever piv- This is contemplated by and oted to said rst lever for rotation about the longitudinal axis of said first lever and mechanism connecting said second lever to a second one of said devices, said last mechanism actuated by rotation of said second lever about the longitudinal axis of said rst lever for operating said second device, and yieldable means resisting rotation of said second lever away from a predetermined position.

3. In combination with a plurality of devices to be controlled, a pivotal lever, mechanism connecting the lever to one of said devices and actuated by a movement of the lever about its pivot for operating said one device, a second lever transverse to said first lever and having one end connected by a universal joint to said first lever at a point spaced from said first levers pivot, manually engageable means on the other end of said second lever for moving same, mechanism operated by a lateral swinging movement of said second lever about the longitudinal axis of said first lever for actuating a second one of said devices, and other mechanism operated by movement of said second lever in a plane common to the longitudinal axes of said two levers for actuating a third one of said devices.

4. A combination as in claim 8 wherein said second lever is so supported that it is rotatable about its own longitudinal axis, said last-named mechanism operated by rotation thereof about its own axis for actuating said third device.

5. In combination with a plurality of devices to be controlled, a pivotal lever, mechanism connecting the lever to one of said devices and actuated by a movement of the lever about its pivot for operating said one device, a second lever pivoted to said first lever at a point spaced from said first levers pivot whereby the angular relationship of said two levers may be changed, means supporting said second lever so it is rotatable about its own longitudinal axis, and mechanism connected to said second lever for operating a second one of said devices responsive either to rotation of said second lever about its own longitudinal axis or pivotal movement of the second lever which changes the angular relationship of said two levers.

6. In combination with a plurality of devices to be controlled, a pivotal lever, a second lever pivoted to said first lever at a point spaced from said first levers pivot whereby the angular relationship of said two levers may change, means supporting said second lever so it is rotatable about its own longitudinal axis, mechanism connecting said second lever to a pair of said devices for operating them in opposite directions responsive to rotatioirof said second lever about its own longitudinal axis and operating them in the same direction responsive to pivotal movement of said second lever which changes the angular relationship of the two levers, and other mechanism connecting said rst lever to a third one of said devices and actuated by a movement of said rst lever about its pivot for operating said third device.

7. In combination with a plurality of devices to be controlled, a lever mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis and for pivotal movement about an axis transverse to its longitudinal axis, a second lever, means supporting said second lever on said iirst lever at a point removed from said transverse axis, said supporting means adapted to permit rotation of said second lever about its own longitudinal axis and pivotal movement thereof about an axis normal to the longitudinal axes of both levers ,andmechanism connecting said levers,

rotary shaft in the tube connected to a second-V shaft by a universal joint located at the axis` of rotation ofthe rocker, a mounting for said second` shaft permitting rotation thereof but maintaining the axis of said second shaftv in a predetermined position, mechanism connected to said rocker and operated by movement thereof about its pivotal axis, yieldable meansy resisting pivotalY movement of-,said rocker away from al predetermined position, and other mechanism connected to said second shaft and operated byrotation thereof.

9. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a U-shaped rocker pivotedat its ends and havingr fixed theretoy a hollow tubeV whose axis is normal to the axis of rotation of the rocker, a rotary shaft inthe tube -connected to a second shaft by a universal, joint located at'the axis of rotation of the rocker, a mounting for Said secondV shaftpermitting rotation thereof but maintaining. `the axis of the: second shaft inV a predetermined position, mechanism connected to said rocker and operated by movement thereof about its pivotal axis, and yieldable means resisting rotation-of said second shaft away from a predetermined position.v

10. Apparatus of the character described comprising a pivotal lever, a sleeve hinged to the lever at -a point removed from its pivot, a shaft supported by said sleeve, a handle onsaid shaft for manually rotating same in saidsleeve, swinging the sleeve relative to the lever or moving the lever about its pvot at will, a pair of cranks mounted for rotation about the same axis as said lever, lateral extensions on said shaft,.tierods between said extensions and said cranks whereby said cranks are turned in opposite directions when' said shaft is rotated in said sleeve and are turned in the same direction when the sleeve is pivoted relative to said lever, separate mechanisms'connected to; and operated by each crank; and av further mechanism connected torand `operatedy by the lever responsive tda pivotal movement thereof.

11. Apparatus as in claim 10 having yieldable means resisting the movement of each crank away from a predetermined position. I Y 12. Apparatus as in claim 10` having yield-able means resisting the movement of said lever away froma predetermined position. l

13. In combination with aplurality off devices to be controlled, a lever mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis and for pivotal movement in an arc about either of two'axes transverse'to its longitudinal axis, mechanism connecting said lever to a pair of said devices forV operatingy them in opposite directions responsive to rotation of said lever about its longitudinal axis andoperating them in thev same direction responsive to pivotal movement of the lever about oneof said transverse axes, and mechanism connecting said lever to another of saidv devices for operating the latter responsive to pivotal move,- ment of the leverabout the othertransverse axis.

14. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a U-shaped rocker pivotedat its ends and having fixed thereto a hollow tubel whose axis is normal `to .the axis of' rctationof the. rocker.. a

rotary shaft in the tubeconnected to a second shaft by a universal joint located at the axis of rotation of the rocker, a mounting for said second shaft permitting rotation thereof but maintaining the axis of said second shaft in a'preder termined position, a lever hingedly connected to said first shaft at a point spaced away from the universal joint, manually engageable means on said lever for optionally pivoting same at its hinge, rotating said first shaft in its tube or rockingsaid rocker as desired, mechanism connected to said lever and operated by said pivotal movement thereof on its hinge, other mechanism connected to said secondshaft and operated by rotation thereof,.and still other mechanism connected to said rocker and operated by movement thereof about its pivotal axis.

15. Apparatus offthe character described, comprising a YU -shaped rocker pivoted at. its ends and having xed thereto a hollow tube whose axisis normal to the axis vof rotation of the rocker, ka rotary shaft in the tube connected to a second shaft by a universal joint locatedV at vthe axisof rotation of the rocker, a mounting for said sec-g ond shaft permitting` rotation thereof but main-.f

taining the axis of said second shaft ina predetermined position, a sleeve hingedly connected to said first shaft at a point spaced away from. theuniversalv joint, said sleeve having a coaxial shaft rotatably supported therein.

16. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a U-shaped rocker pivoted at itsv ends and having fixed thereto a hollow tube whose axis is normal to the axis of rotation of the rocker, a

rotary shaft in the tube connected to a second Y shaft by a universal joint located at the axis of rotation of the rocker, a mounting for said second shaft permitting rotation thereof but maintaining the axis of said second shaft in a predetermined position, a sleeve hingedly connected to said first shaft at a point spaced away from the universal joint, said sleeve having a coaxialshaft rotatably supported therein, mechanism connected to said rocker and operated byl movement thereof about its pivotal axis, other mechanism connected to said second shaft and oper-ated by rotation thereof, and a pair of devices connected t0 said coaxial shaft operated in the same direction responsive to pivotal movement of said'sleeve at its hinge and in opposite directions responsive to rotation of said coaxial shaft in said sleeve.

BERNARD H. HESEMANN. n

REFERENCES errno The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

